CHINASAT 12 will reach customers in Asia, Africa, Australia and the Middle East with 24 C-band and 23 Ku-band transponders. The satellite 12 was designed as an 'ITAR-free' version of the Thales Spacebus 4000 C2 satellite platform, avoiding the use of U.S. components to bypass U.S. government regulations restricting trade in satellite parts, preventing their launch on Chinese rockets. CHINASAT 12 will provide television broadcasting, data transmission, digital broadband multimedia and media streaming services in China and neighboring regions.